I believe one should always use all means possible to get what one wants. And, like every other morning, this morning I wanted BREAKFAST. I alerted the sleeping staff to my desires via several meows, yet they paid no attention and continued their snoozing. Then, I jumped off the bed, …

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2014/02/romeos-nose-vs-nose-wake-up-tactic/feed/0Romeo NOSEThough it be but little, it is fierce!Safe outdoor time is so important for adoptable cats!https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/02/safe-outdoor-time-is-so-important-for-adoptable-cats/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/02/safe-outdoor-time-is-so-important-for-adoptable-cats/#commentsTue, 26 Feb 2013 19:30:54 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/?p=20181

With Rescue U, I spend a lot of time going into animal shelter across the U.S., scouting locations for renovation builds, volunteering my time and actually building. The majority of the time we focus our efforts on the outside, building exercise pens, meet-and-greet areas, and making functional repairs to the …

With Rescue U, I spend a lot of time going into animal shelter across the U.S., scouting locations for renovation builds, volunteering my time and actually building. The majority of the time we focus our efforts on the outside, building exercise pens, meet-and-greet areas, and making functional repairs to the building or surrounding grounds.

One thing that always strikes me whenever I go into an animal shelter is the cats. Most of the time, the cats have their own large room and it’s filled with small cages where the cats spend the majority of their time. Some shelters have a colony room that they can go into for a short period of time, but then it’s back to the small cage. Typically there is no natural light, poor air flow and not enough room for them to exercise. That’s why building safe, enclosed outdoor cat areas is so important.

When we did a renovation in Jefferson City, TN, at the Humane Society of Jefferson County last May, where we built an outdoor cat area, I left feeling like I had really made a difference in the lives of the cats. I have a small obsession with cats. When I go into shelters, I always look at the ferals. It’s because of them that I realize how dire the cat situation is: Seeing a cat who is so used to roaming free and fending for himself trapped in a cage and terrified shows me what the other cats have resigned themselves to. When I saw the cats run out into the sun and have a safe place to stretch out and relax or play, it made all the frustration and hard work that went into building that enclosed yard instantly worth every second.

On March 9-16, Rescue U is going to Lake County Animal Services in Travares, FL, for our spring break renovation build, and one of the projects we are doing is building two separate outdoor enclosures that will include cat trees, scratching posts and toys.

This is extremely important for these cats. The area where they keep the cats is small, has no natural light, and is very stuffy. Making this area will allow the cats to not only have some outdoor time, but greatly improve the overall well-being of the cats. Melissa Enck Descant, shelter director at the Humane Society of Jefferson County, said it best: “The difference we have seen in the cats has been amazing. They are happier, healthier, and more playful. Our adoption rate for kittens has also increased. People love being able to go in and interact with the kittens, helping them to find their perfect companion. Our euthanasia rate is also down thanks to how healthy everyone has been.”

For this trip we have started a Groupon Grassroots Campaign to help with the cost of building these yards. The campaign runs through Wednesday, Feb. 27, and we need your help to reach our goal. We need 50 people to donate $10 to reach our goal of $500. The wonderful thing about this program is that any donations received beyond our goal will be used exclusively for improving life for the cats at the Tavares shelter. The last Groupon Grassroots Campaign that Rescue U participated in raised more than double our goal, and thanks to our generous donors, the Humane Society of West Michigan received a much larger dog agility course and we were able to put more money into other projects for the shelter.

We have volunteers coming out from Oklahoma, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Kentucky to help with this build. I’m sure that everyone who participates in this project will get the same gratification that I did in Jefferson County when they see the cats run out into the sun, stretch their legs and enjoy the fresh air that they would not have gotten otherwise.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/02/safe-outdoor-time-is-so-important-for-adoptable-cats/feed/0StormyPetuniaMy favorite of your wackiest pet nameshttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/01/my-favorite-of-your-wackiest-pet-names/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/01/my-favorite-of-your-wackiest-pet-names/#commentsThu, 17 Jan 2013 12:30:12 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=5699On our Facebook page, we recently asked people for the wackiest pet names that they’ve heard. Here are a few of my personal favorites, along with adoptable pets from animal welfare groups that I’ve run across with those zany names. A few people mentioned it, but Bree M. first …

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2013/01/my-favorite-of-your-wackiest-pet-names/feed/0“Part IV – What to Do, and What Not to Do”Even the smallest shelter needs a Web site these days in order to reach more people than you could ever hope to reach otherwise. Check out the dos and don'ts of Web sites here.Part V- Other Things You Need to DoEven the smallest shelter needs a Web site these days in order to reach more people than you could ever hope to reach otherwise. Take a look at some of the things you have to do once your site is up.Part III – Get a Webmaster and Plan Your SiteEven the smallest shelter needs a Web site these days in order to reach more people than you could ever hope to reach otherwise. Read about getting a webmaster and planning your site here.Member Spotlight: A safe haven for senior & special-needs catshttps://www.petfinder.com/blog/2008/10/member_spotlight_tabbys_place/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2008/10/member_spotlight_tabbys_place/#commentsWed, 29 Oct 2008 10:22:20 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=189Slide, adopted from Tabby’s Place I have been lucky enough to have the pleasure of visiting Tabby’s Place in Ringoes, NJ, in person a few times. Therefore, I can attest to the sheer beauty of it — both in aesthetics as well as its mission. Tabby’s Place opened its doors …

I have been lucky enough to have the pleasure of visiting Tabby’s Place in Ringoes, NJ, in person a few times. Therefore, I can attest to the sheer beauty of it — both in aesthetics as well as its mission. Tabby’s Place opened its doors in October 2003 and is able to care for almost 100 cats.

These aren’t just any felines — they are all senior or special-needs cats. Ranging in age from 1-19 years old and having special needs from FIV to cancer, the cats get the best possible care while being housed at Tabby’s Place.

According to their Web site, they provide communal living environments for cats, with plenty of horizontal and vertical space for exercise and play as well as outdoor enclosures for cats to enjoy fresh air and sunlight.

Not only is Tabby’s Place responsible for excellent care of cats, it is also responsible for connecting Petfinder’s VP of shelter outreach, Kim Saunders, with her beloved cat Slide. Slide was 14 at the time of his adoption, taken from a home with many other cats, missing an eye and diabetic. Slide was staying in the office of Jonathan Rosenberg, the founder and executive director of Tabby’s Place. Kim was visiting the shelter for a meeting and fell quickly in love.

]]>https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2008/10/member_spotlight_tabbys_place/feed/0Slidepurplebed08_07 (22).jpgHow to find homes for these (and other) hard-to-place cats?https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2008/09/hard_to_place_cats/
https://www.petfinder.com/blog/2008/09/hard_to_place_cats/#commentsMon, 29 Sep 2008 08:50:31 +0000https://www.petfinder.com/blog/?p=162Black cats are hard to find homes for. So are pairs of cats. Also, adolescent cats. What happens when all three of those are combined? You get some very long-time fosters. Friends of Homeless Animals in Hawthorne, NJ (where I found my special-needs cat, Gretel), has been fostering best friends …